1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum container adapted to contain therein one or more articles in the vacuum state and more particularly a vacuum container adapted to transport one or more articles contained therein in the vacuum state.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, in the case of the production of semiconductor chips or the like, various substances which adhere over the surfaces of each chip and directly influence the quality thereof must be analyzed.
To this end, so far a sample of semiconductor chips fabricated in the vacuum atmosphere must be placed into an analyzer so as to analyze the substances attached over the surfaces of the sample. In addition to the semiconductor chips, some articles must be placed into an analyzer so as to analyze them in the vacuum atmosphere.
So far when the sample of semiconductor chips fabricated in the vacuum atmosphere is transported to an analyzer, it is contained in a simple closed container or the like for transportation.
However, when the sample is contained in such closed container or the like for transportation, it is exposed to the surrounding atmosphere so that various additional substances in the surrounding atmosphere further adhere to the surfaces of the sample being transported and contaminate them. As a result, the surface conditions of the sample become different from the original conditions of the surface of the sample fabricated so that there is a fear that the results of the analysis are erroneous.
Therefore, there has been devised and demonstrated a method in which a semiconductor chip fabrication apparatus is directly connected to an analyzer so that a sample of semiconductor chips fabricated can be directly transported to the analyzer without being exposed to the surrounding atmosphere.
However, the analyzers of the type used for such purpose are expensive and when such an expensive analyzer is bought and connected to a semiconductor chip fabrication apparatus, there is a fear that such method becomes unprofitable because of a low frequency in use.
Furthermore, in some analysis systems, semiconductor chips must be transported from one analyzer to another.